We can all remember a time when we were younger in middle school and first learned of bad words. Maybe we said them to our parents who promptly rubbed soap in our mouths. Or maybe they just said to never say those words. Either way, we learned from a young age that there are certain words that should never be said... well until you're of age.

Curse words are fun. They are the best way to get a message across. They pour out emotion. They can even feel like they make a situation better. For instance, when one stubs their toe on the corner of the coffee table, yelling the F-word might be just as effective as some ice on it. So if these words could be considered beneficial, why can't we say them in certain circumstances?

Well, because some curse words can be really offensive. There are four basic categories of curse words: Religious, sexual, bodily functions and organs, and derogatory words towards other races or ethnicities. So, while in 2018 we might be a little more accepting of words like shit, (a bodily function), and words like the N-word, (derogatory towards a race) still carry a lot of weight.

Bad words, like any other type of slang, move in and out of popularity and meaningfulness. Those who have traveled across the pond are probably well aware the C-word, where it is shockingly less meaningful than here in the US.

But why do we have them in the first place? This I do not have an answer to. After taking a few linguistics courses and being told numerous times by professors, I'm fully aware that language is completely arbitrary. The words we say really mean nothing.

We've just become accustomed to the symbols and sounds that we understand it. So, the idea that there are words we should not be saying ever is a strange idea. How can the word 'sex' be fine to say on the news, but the F-word would be outrageous? Who decides what words are okay to say?

Again, these are questions I myself need to do more research on. Nonetheless, they keep me thinking, especially when I've dropped a plate of food and 'damn' the big man upstairs.

Although I don't have answers, I do suggest listening to George Carlin's "7 dirty words you can't say on Television" bit. If you're really interested there's a book titled, "What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves" by Benjamin Bergen that sheds even more light on the topic.